Since being named a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) through the U.S. Department of Labor in 2022, the AAMI BMET Apprenticeship Program has continued to grow, helping employer partners across the country train new apprentices at significantly reduced costs. The program provides best-practice training guidelines, AAMI HTM resources, and access to grant funding while allowing employer partners to tailor the curriculum to their unique apprenticeship needs.
“Becoming an Employer Partner in the AAMI Registered BMET Apprenticeship Program gives you a clear advantage over other employers,” explained Danielle McGeary, vice president of Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) for AAMI. “Designed to enhance and expand your workforce, this program is your company’s pathway towards more diverse, better-trained, and better-retained technicians.”
In recognition of the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week, held from November 17 to 23, 2024, TechNation magazine joins AAMI in celebrating the individual HTM professionals and employer partners who have made the AAMI BMET Apprenticeship Program a success.
In 2024, three companies joined the ever-growing ranks of this program’s employer partners:
- Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics at the University of Florida
- Mass General Brigham Health
- Coast to Coast HTM
According to a representative from Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics, “the AAMI BMET Apprenticeship Program provides an invaluable opportunity for our Biomed Assistants to begin their apprenticeship while on the job, gaining hands-on experience, certification, and specialized training. Additionally, it allows us to expand our hiring pool beyond traditional biomedical engineering tech programs, enabling us to bring in skilled electricians, mechanics, and other technical professionals. This approach not only enhances our team’s versatility but also gives us a competitive edge in the job market by developing talent with the exact expertise needed for biomedical roles.”
Richard Woods, apprenticeship leader at long-standing partner ReNew Biomedical, shared that the program has allowed his employer to upskill a large number of employees. “ReNew is one of the first companies to have an apprenticeship program, and the first to have someone complete their apprenticeship. We now have three techs that have completed the apprenticeship, with around 18 others in the pipeline. Our program has produced 10 CBET’s, 24 CABT’s and 8 CompTIA IT Fundamentals. ReNew’s intention is for all of our BMET’s to be AAMI certified, and with the exception of a couple of new hires, we have met and maintained this goal.”
Karen Waninger, apprenticeship leader at Franciscan Health added that her HTM department “has benefitted tremendously through the addition of BMET Apprentice positions. In addition to being an introduction to a great career for our apprentices, this program is a fabulous opportunity for the employers to build or improve their succession plans as more of the seasoned HTM professionals are approaching retirement.”
“We hired our first two Apprentices, Jonathan Maloney and Adrian Waninger, in the summer of 2021 at our Lafayette East hospital,” she continued. “Jonathan was partially down the path toward his AS Degree when we hired him, and recently completed his BS in HETM from IUPUI. Adrian joined our team directly out of high school and will soon complete his AS Degree from the College of Biomedical Equipment Technology. The apprenticeship program provided a tuition reimbursement benefit for them to work toward their degree while working in the hospital. Both have completed various courses through AAMI and have started their collection of certificates from vendor service training classes. They both passed not only the BMET Apprentice exam but also the CBET exam, and both were promoted to the position of BMET 1 within a couple years of being hired. The clinical care staff have great confidence in their knowledge. The more experienced HTM team members appreciate their assistance with everything from PMs to managing new project implementations to responding after-hours for any kind of urgent service request.”
Stephan Agostini of TRIMEDX also saw the program as a boon to his career. He shared that the program “jumpstarted his career in ways that far exceeded expectations.”
“Over the course of the two years I spent in the program, I gained valuable hands-on experience that I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else,” he added. “Since joining the program I’ve had the opportunity to travel, earn multiple OEM certifications, and complete and pass key exams such as the CBET and CABT, with all study materials provided. Joining this program was the best decision I have made to launch my career as a biomed, and I am grateful every day for the opportunity.”
- Two years ago, TIRMEDX launched its BMET Apprenticeship as one of the apprenticeship program’s first employer partners, leveraging AAMI’s national RAP to shape their curriculum. Now, TRIMEDX has committed to expanding the program to include more apprentices this fall. What has made it such a success? Workforce Stretegy Director Courtney Kinkade explains in an AAMI guest column.
AAMI shares these stories as part of National Apprenticeship Week. They are a testament to the strength and dedication of the employer partners and individuals currently or previously in the program.
Congratulations to 2024 Apprenticeship Graduates:
- Stephan Agostini, TRIMEDX
- Adrian Waninger, Franciscan Health Alliance
- Anthony Bedwell II, ReNew Biomedical
- Dylan Presson, ReNew Biomedical
- Bradley Jones, ReNew Biomedical
AAMI says thank you to Apprenticeship Leaders Karen Waninger of Franciscan Health Alliance, Courtney Kinkade of TRIMEDX, and Richard Woods of ReNew Biomedical. They have helped these apprentices excel!
Interested in joining the program, either as an apprentice or an employer partner? You can find more information about the AAMI BMET Apprenticeship here.
